Cat Scratch
by Treska SilverFlame
Summary: The eight Millennium Item has been found by a ...cat? And a new evil is rearing its ugly head. Time to find out why the Millennium Items are suppose to be for humans. Watch for the ratings to jump.
1. Default Chapter

Hello. Yes I am trying to write a Yu-Gi-Oh fanfic. God help me. However, the plot and the original character and Millennium Collar/Bracelet are mine.  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh or any of the characters. Please don't sue, I've got no money.  
  
Alright time for the codes to come out. And the winners are:  
  
/aibou to yami/  
  
//yami to aibou//  
  
"speech"  
  
'thought'  
  
If I get terms mixed up please let me know. I've only watched sporadic episodes of Yugi and I'm a little clueless on how the spirits address their partners. And as mentioned I've only seen the English versions of the eps. so I'll be using all the American names. I also can't do accents so just pretend they're there.  
  
On with the fic.  
  
* * * * * * * * * *  
  
It was dark. It had been for so long she could ignore it now. It brought comfort to her, kept her in a daze where the only colors she saw were those of her memories and vague feelings. She floated in this nothingness with an acceptance and a patience that would startle anyone that truly knew her. Of course many of those people were dead now. Nothing more than burnt dust to mix with warm winds.  
  
All except for one.  
  
She would find him eventually. As soon as she could get out of this endless darkness. She would find him and protect him. Just as she had so many years ago. In a way she loved him. He was the complete opposite of her and made her complete. Together they were inseparable. At least that was what they had thought.  
  
When the fear lanced through the darkness she almost didn't recognize it. But the second wave and the feeling/sense of pain made her more aware than any past memories could. Suddenly a room formed out of the darkness. She felt her body hit cool white marble tiles making her loose breath she didn't realize she still had. Three lofty pillars rose to meet a gold and creamed colored ceiling. The walls were cream colored with swirls of red. The entire room flickered with shadows cast from the various torches hanging from the pillars.  
  
Quickly she picked herself up, leather sandals smacking the tiles. In front of her a door opened, spilling white light into the room. Quickly she made her way towards the light as another wave of fear passed through her mind. As she exited the door the light leapt forward and enveloped her. When she opened her eyes again the colors, noise and smell assaulted all of her senses. Finally everything came into focus. She faced her enemy and was. . . confused.  
  
Right in front of her was a black furred, green eyed feline face. Her opponent was apparently just as confused as she. But it didn't last long as the feline growled menacingly and started to advance.  
  
"Beat it cat!" She said. Or at least she tried to say. The only thing to emerge was a growl.  
  
The black cat stopped for a second to consider, then advanced again. This time she tried to swat it away, watching in bemusement as a paw shot out instead of a human hand. The attacking feline however was convinced enough that she meant business and stalked off.  
  
When her opponent left she took a better look at her surroundings. She seemed to be in an alley of some sort. The wall opposite her climbed up with its only breaks being windows and a lone skeletal fire escape. Boxes, trash littered the small ally. Then she caught site of another cat. This one was a calico short haired creature with violet eyes, the same color as her own. The creature was skinny and small; she wondered how it could survive. It was staring at her in a quizzical way. She got up to go over to it . . . and it got up too. She stopped, so did the cat. She lifted her left hand and watched as the cat lifted its left forepaw.  
  
'That's me.' She started to feel a little dizzy. 'That cat is me. I'm looking in a mirror!?!'  
  
She examined the other wall more closely. Sure enough she was able to discern the outlines of the mirror, most likely a broken shard. She looked down at her hand, but instead she saw a dust colored paw with a black spot on the middle toe. She picked the transformed body part up and flexed it. Needle sharp claws popped out of their sheaths and flexed. She wiggled them as she would fingers. Watching the four toes with claws wiggle made her chuckle a little.  
  
Finally she approached the mirror. Taking a better look at herself she noticed one more important detail. Around her neck a band of gold glinted in the night air. She sighed, this was a given, but how the Millennium Bracelet came to be around this creatures neck was beyond her.  
  
'Great, I'm trapped in the body of an underweight feline.' She sighed. 'Might as well go and try and find my aibou.'  
  
She closed her eyes and concentrated on her soul room. Opening her eyes again she found herself back to her human self and standing outside her soul room. Instead of going in she turned around, looking for the other door that would lead her to her aibou's room. But there was no other door, just her own.  
  
Curious she went into her soul room, maybe her aibou was there? She stepped through the door and noticed that several things had changed. One was there was a large pile of cushions laying in the middle of the room. The other was that in the middle of that pile was feline whose body she resided in, only with green eyes.  
  
Slowly she walked up to the lounging feline. The cat spotted her coming towards her and started to get up, fear and nervousness radiating from it. She stopped not wanting to startle the creature. Carefully she lowered herself to one knee and held out a hand.  
  
"Here little one. Don't worry I won't hurt you."  
  
The cat cocked her head to one side. "No hurt?"  
  
"No I won't." She was a little startled that the creature could talk. But then she was inside her own mind with her aibou's soul, translations were not really required. "Don't you want to return to controlling your body?"  
  
The cat sat back down, kneading the pillow under it. "No."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Like here. . . better. You. . . . have. . . . control."  
  
She sighed. As much as she didn't want to take over her aibou's body and consequently its life she could now concentrate on actually doing something and not just hoping the cat would take her where she needed to go. Still she didn't think that it was right.  
  
"Aibou wouldn't you like to have your life. This is your body, not mine?"  
  
"Aibou?"  
  
"Yes, it means partner.* You should be the one in control of your life, not me."  
  
The cat tilted its head again. "Aibou. Me like. Not want to take back life. To much. . . .badness. You can take us."  
  
She sighed. Again she agreed. Even though she didn't know what time she was in she would have more of a chance surviving than her feline counterpart. Wearily she sank into the cushions. The small feline crawled up into her lap. The creature was so small, fitting neatly into her lap.  
  
"Well little one what should I call you?"  
  
"Aibou."  
  
"But that's so generic.?"  
  
Aibou stretched and rolled on to her belly. "Me like. You?"  
  
"Tora. My name is Tora."  
* * * * * * * * * * *  
Okay, first chapter done. Onto the next.  
  
Tora: Why in the world am I stuck in a CAT???  
  
Treska: Cause I wanted to.  
  
Yugi: Are we going to be in this story at all?  
  
Treska: Yup. *Grins evilly*  
  
Yugi:.. I do not like you.  
  
* I don't know if this is the right translation. If it is let me know so I can change it.  
  
Please review. I'll take almost everything, especially constructive criticism. Flames will be laughed at. 


	2. In the tomb

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh or any of the characters. Please don't sue, I've got no money. Only original things of mine are the Millennium Braclet/Collar, the cat and Tora.  
  
Alright time for the codes to come out. And the winners are:  
  
/aibou to yami/  
  
//yami to aibou//  
  
"speech"  
  
'thought'  
  
{Telepathy}  
  
Rosz of the Angel: Thanks for reviewing. I have no idea how the cat's speech is going to evolve, so we'll just have to wait and see.  
  
All righty now. On with the fic.  
  
* * * * * * * *  
  
A bouncing light made its way into the dust filled room. Air that was as dead as the dust floating in the flickering light stirred. A fresh breeze followed the lamp, clinging to it, as if afraid of dealing with this ancient air. The ancient quiet was finally shattered as the soft sound of footsteps descending into the room.  
  
The light bobbed in time to the arm holding it. That arm belonged to a black haired man with deeply tanned and chiseled features. Many considered this man handsome. He had women constantly falling over themselves to meet him. At least until they looked into his eyes, then they backed away, fear radiating from them.  
  
It wasn't that there was only coldness in those ice blue orbs. It was the fact that they looked like a snakes. Silted pupils and the spark of a predator on the prowl.  
  
His movements were like liquid. Smooth, flowing and precise. It was with that gracefulness that he prowled the ancient tomb. He ignored the sparkle of gold that caught his light's attention. Breezing past the sarcophagus he headed to the selves beyond in the dust filled corner. Carefully he put his lamp down and started rifling through the old manuscripts that lay in piles. Not once did his face change expression, even when some of those parchments crumpled to dust as he held them.  
  
Suddenly his eyes grew more serious. They traveled over the parchment quickly, then returned to the starting point and went over each word, each stroke of the dead pen. Those cold, reptilian eyes drank in the words. The corners of the man's lips twitched in what could have been considered the beginning of a smile.  
  
"Perfect."  
* * * * * * * * *  
Alright I know this was a short chapter, but I've got a lot going on in the next couple of days. Hopefully I can get another two chapters done this week.  
  
All characters: *Glaring at Treska past gags in mouths*  
  
Treska: O-o Hey I'm getting observed by my supervisor tomorrow. Give me a break.  
  
Okay. Well just leave a little review. 


	3. Six Months Later and a Parting of Sorts

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh or any of the characters. Please don't sue, I've got no money. Only original things of mine are the Millennium Bracelet/Collar, the cat and Tora.  
  
Alright time for the codes to come out. And the winners are:  
  
/aibou to yami/  
  
//yami to aibou//  
  
"speech"  
  
'thought'  
  
{Telepathy}  
  
Rosz of the Angel: Wow, I'm glad you like this fic. Especially since I have no idea where it's actually going. As to the mysterious guy it's not Malik.  
  
All righty now. On with the fic.  
  
* * * * * * * * * *  
  
Six Months Later  
  
"Get the cat!"  
  
The animalistic shout rang through the empty park. Dusk was setting, throwing everything into a dark rose relief. A gentle breeze rustled the leaves on several bushes and played with puffs of dirt in the cool evening. Suddenly one of the bushes shook wildly. A second later a small shape dashed out, running in and almost drunken manner.  
  
The shape evolved into the form of a small, underweight calico cat. Its entire being was focused on running, but something was clearly wrong with the creature. It wove from side to side, not in a wide spread out weave, but every other step saw it waver. The reason for flight became apparent as three teenage boys burst out from the brush. Each one carrying a stick and some string, gleeful predators enjoying the chase.  
  
'Note to self. Get away from the high school before the last bell rings.' Tora thought to herself as she tried to pull air into her lungs.  
  
It was bad enough to get caught unawares, but learning at the last possible second that her Shadow Magic didn't work was extremely bad timing. Luckily cats are equipped with claws and fangs for a reason. That much was apparent on her pursuers' hands, faces and necks.  
  
Tora made a beeline for the edge of the park. She needed to get her aibou into a crowded area. The teens chasing them would not risk others seeing their behavior. Dirt and blades of grass shot up from under small leather pads as Tora put on an extra burst of speed.  
  
Tora heard an angry, yet triumphant, shout from behind. The noise was closer to her and the sound of drumming footsteps was gaining. A wave of fear and panic swept through Tora and she felt her aibou try and take control of the body they shared. Tora fought back to keep control, wavering in her route as she did.  
  
//Aibou, please let me handle this.// Tora said as soothingly as the situation permitted all the while keeping an eye on her path.  
  
/Hide, quick! Hide, quick! They catch . . . . we is going to hurt./ Aibou's frantic contralto voice panted out.  
  
//If we do they will catch us. I don't think either of us has the energy to climb anything and they're too close for us to just disappear on anything.// Tora reasoned.  
  
/. . . ./ Aibou whimpered.  
  
Tora felt the feline's presence slip away from her. Inwardly she sighed; this was going to get a little easier. She quickened her stride even more. What she needed right now was the cover of the busy sidewalk. And she had to get there before she passed out.  
  
The edge of the park bounced into view. The noise of fast moving cars and the soft thunder of people moving on their routinely walks broke the silence of the park. The small animal leapt over the small wire fence that stood proudly guarding the park. Quickly the figure made a right turn and disappeared into the crowd. The three teen chasing slowly came to a halt. Their prey lost in a sea of their own kind.  
  
Tora didn't stop running after crossing that flimsy barrier. Dodging and weaving between rubber soles, blood-red spikes and business black leather mirrors she continued on. Her goal came in sight two streets later in the form of a crack in a wall of a large apartment building. In the corner where the stairs leading up to the entrance of the building and the building itself there was a hole just big enough for her to squeeze in. The cave inside was spacious and no one would ever no she was there.  
  
There she dropped and panted, her small pink tongue hanging loosely from her mouth. She was exhausted and completely out of energy. Who would have thought that her aibou would have put up such a fight. Then again it was probably out of instinct.  
  
Once her breathing was under control Tora slipped into her mind, resuming her human form. Gently she walked to her soul room. Now was not the time to startle Aibou.  
  
The ancient door to her soul room stood open, light from the hallway spilling into the enormous room beyond. In the middle of the room was a giant pile of cushions and blankets. A perfect nest for the small form perched on top of all this. Tora calmly made her way to the multicolored mountain.  
  
"Aibou are you all right?" Tora asked as she approached.  
  
Aibou shivered the coffee and coal colored fur on her back rising slightly. "No, not very"  
  
Tora sank into the cushions next to her feline counterpart. Gently she stroked the silky fur. "It's all right now. We're safe. I will never let anything happen to you. But you must learn to trust me."  
  
"Trust. I is always trust you. Is just. . . . .scary. Need to run. Need to hide. Or they catch and hurt us. Hurt you." Aibou slowly closed her eyes, ivory claws pulling small threads out of the pillow beneath her.  
  
"Oh Aibou." Tora was touched. She didn't know how her aibou felt about her being there. She had essentially taken over the cat's life. Although she did let Aibou take back her body the feline was often reluctant to do so. Now she realized why Aibou had tried to take over so forcefully.  
  
"Here kitty. Here kitty, kitty."  
  
The kindly, age worn voice broke through Tora's train of thought. Quickly she focused back on the here and now. She got up and stretched, her muscles screaming at the idea of her moving. But that voice belonged to Ms. Enoki a seemingly ancient old woman who lived on the first floor of the building. The second day after Tora had spotted this hideaway and moved in the old woman was crouching right out front of the hole. At first Tora had been reluctant to venture forth, but the bowl of sardines and cream had been enough to tempt her and Aibou.  
  
Tora quickly, although not quite steadily, trotted out of her home. Today's meal was scraps of meat mixed with milk. With as much dignity as she could muster she sat down and devoured the meal. As she did Ms. Enoki stroked her fur and murmured what a beautiful and wonderful cat she was.  
  
Tora let out a soft purr, bringing a smile to the wrinkly old face. She liked this woman. She had been a good companion to her and Aibou. Tora regretted that tomorrow she would not be here to share another meal with this kindly woman. She also regretted not being able to tell her that she was leaving and not to worry.  
  
As soon as the meal was done Tora gently bumped her head against the older woman's hand. Then she turned and walked back into her den. She could still see Ms. Enoki's shadow outside her doorway. It lingered for a moment, then turned and left. Tora could hear the quite thud of her friend's steps as she returned to her home.  
  
Tora sighed and turned inward.  
  
"Why is you so sad?" Aibou asked as she looked up from washing her front paw.  
  
"I'm just sad that we are going to have to leave our friend."  
  
"Why is we leaving?" Aibou sat up at this new information.  
  
Tora chuckled as she sat down. She forgot that Aibou didn't have a great ability for remembering facts. "We are going to look for my friend. I've learned enough of this language and the culture so that we can easily survive in a town or city. At least if we're careful and keep our eyes and ears open."  
  
Aibou cocked her head to one side and gave Tora the feline equivalent of a frown. "Why?"  
  
"Because I want to make sure he's okay. Because it's my duty to protect him. And he's my friend."  
  
"You find him, you not protect me?"  
  
"No! I would never stop protecting you. Or being your friend. You are my aibou, my hikari." Tora gathered Aibou into her lap. She stroked the cat fur as much to emphasize her point as to reassure herself. She would never abandon Aibou.  
  
"Oh."  
  
"Tomorrow we leave. To find my friend, Pharaoh Yami."  
* * * * * * * *  
Tada! Okay another chapter done.  
  
Yami: *In a sing-song voice* Oh Treska. Might we have a word with you? }:)  
  
Treska: *Notices several deadly weapons and a cheese grater in the hand of the Yu-Gi-Oh cast* Ummm. . . . . actually I'm quiet tired right now. *Yawns while backing away*  
  
Yu-Gi-Oh cast: Get her!!!!  
  
Ryou: *Wanders in* Whups, guess I missed the torture time. Oh well. Don't worry hopefully Treska won't be wounded enough not to write the next chapter. *mumbles* Now we just need some more reviewers.  
  
Rosz of the Angel: *Glares at Ryou*  
  
Ryou: *Backing up quickly* Not that we don't have an already great one here. Uh. I think I'll go now.  
  
Treska: *Groans painfully* Please review?! 


	4. Meeting of Violet Eyes

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh or any of the characters. Please don't sue, I've got no money. Only original things of mine are the Millennium Bracelet/Collar, the cat and Tora.  
  
Alright time for the codes to come out. And the winners are:  
  
/aibou to yami/  
  
//yami to aibou//  
  
"speech"  
  
'thought'  
  
{Telepathy}  
  
[Aibou interjecting her own thoughts during a telepathic conversation] (Ya I know the codes are going to get very confusing.)  
  
Another note, this story takes place after Battle City. However since I have yet to see the ending of it I'm going to take a couple of assumptions. Yugi has won battle city. Marik (or is it Malik?) still has one God card, the Millennium Rod and a really bad attitude. Seto is probably not too fond of Yugi too, but I'm not sure if this is going to change. Also I might have romance in the later chapters. There is probably going to be at least one yoai pairing.  
  
Okay on with the fic.  
  
* * * * * * *  
  
Three Months Later  
  
'Oh no you don't!' Tora thought as she raced after the gray, over- fluffed rodent in front of her. She and Aibou had gone two days without any food; this squirrel was not getting away.  
  
The annoying fur ball was just able to keep out of the lithe felines claws. A wall of some sort loomed up in front of the two animals. Quickly the squirrel climbed up the wall and disappeared into a slit four feet off the ground. Tora hissed and followed the damned rodent, her sharp claws sinking into the damp wood. The hole itself was actually a six inch by six inch bare window cut into the wall.  
  
Cautiously Tora crawled into the opening and almost fell out the other end. The walls were just wide enough to hold her body. Grumbling she searched directly below her, in the back of her mind she heard Aibou chuckling.  
  
//And just what is soooo funny Aibou?//  
  
/You. You is hunting very bad for cat./  
  
//Well excuse me. I'm used to using bows, arrows and spears. NOT to mention that I'm suppose to be human.//  
  
Another chuckle. /You is just grumpy got shown up by tree rat./  
  
Tora grumbled some more. Directly beneath her was a crate. Gently she jumped down, landing with a barely audible thud. Another crate and then the floor and she looked around again. Boxes and sacks filled with gods know what were stacked willy nilly in the room. There was only one door and the window. At least the rodent had little chance of escape. Of course she might just miss it as she searched. Tora sighed; this was becoming too much work for a meal. A scrawny one at that.  
  
Carefully she started to search the room, all of her senses perked. She thanked Ra for her new heightened awareness of the world around her. She had been startled at first by the intensity of all her senses, but she had adjusted quickly. Now if she could only get the hunting thing down she would be just as good as Aibou at being a cat.  
  
"Fat chance at that.' She snorted softly. 'I'm just to used to using weapons, even if I was trapped in that bracelet for five thousand years.'  
  
Something just around one of the box corners shifted. Tora froze, her ears pointed forward as she listened to the darkness. There! Another noise. Something was up ahead, shifting in place. Whatever it was, it was bigger than a squirrel or a cat. As she crept forward Tora felt Aibou become nervous. Quickly she sent a wave of calmness through the link. Her feline counter part quieted.  
  
Tora rounded the corner to be greeted with more boxes. These ones were stacked up, but there was a space between a few of them. Quietly she padded closer as her nose was suddenly assaulted the scent of unwashed human.  
  
'That is very odd.' Tora thought as she sat back and sneezed. The scent was very powerful.  
  
Carefully she padded over to the space in the boxes, the musky scent getting stronger. She peeked he head around the opening and gasped. Sitting in the shadows, knees held tightly to a bare, thin chest, was a young boy. At the sound of the gasp the boy turned his head. Violet eyes met violet eyes. He had black hair tipped in red that once stood in proud spikes. Gold bangs hung limply, framing a pale face streaked with dirt and peppered with bruises. One eye was swollen shut and turning a nasty shade of blue. His thin chest was also covered with dirt and bruises and although she couldn't see them, cuts.  
  
/Cub is hurt!/ Came the distressed cry of Aibou.  
  
//Very hurt.// Tora's mind darkened slightly. This boy seemed to radiate innocence and someone had hurt him. On top of that he looked just like her friend from Ancient Egypt. This was not acceptable.  
  
The boy shifted slightly. Cautiously he held out his palm, quietly calling, "here kitty. Please come."  
  
Tora trotted forward. She butted her head up against his fingers and started purring, filling the room with the sound of a small motor. Gently fingers scratched behind her ears, then traveled down her spine. She felt herself gathered up and deposited into the youth's lap. Tora quickly tried to close off her sense of smell. The poor youth probably hadn't had a shower in a long time.  
  
The traveling fingers kept up they're rhythmic motion. Suddenly they stopped and Tora felt something tug at the Millennium Bracelet. She snapped her eyes open and twisted to see the boy's fingers groping the magical item. Quickly she gave him a light swat. He gasped and jerked his hand away. Tora immediately felt sorry for her actions, but she couldn't risk him taking the bracelet off.  
  
A sniffle interrupted her thoughts. Glancing up she saw tears crawling down his cheeks, leaving clean little tracks. Tora started purring again and so did Aibou, giving an odd little echo to the already loud motor.  
  
{Please don't cry.}  
  
"Who said that?!" Fear tainted the gently voice of the boy.  
  
The purring stopped. {You heard that?} The youth nodded and glanced out of his little hiding place. {Look down.}  
  
Startled he jerked his head down to the glance at the bundle of fur tucked into his lap. "You can t. . . talk?"  
  
{Actually, I think this is a form of telepathy. But ya I guess I can talk. My name is Tora. [Aibou is here too.] What is your name?}  
  
"Yugi. Why do you have two voices? And why are you wearing a Millennium Item? I thought they only went to people?"  
  
Tora was startled that he knew about the existence about the items. {The other voice you heard belongs to the feline whose body I inhabit. She's taken the name of Aibou. As to why she's wearing the Millennium Bracelet, well it was apparently in the trash she was digging through and it got caught around her neck. She was in trouble and it awoke me and I came to her rescue. As to why it's even in her possession is beyond me. I hope I didn't hurt you when I swatted your hand, but I couldn't let you take the bracelet off.}  
  
"You didn't. I was just curious. But I know that a yami has to be in contact with his or her aibou to protect them." Yugi sniffed again, tears threatening to leave more marks on his face.  
  
{How is it you know about the items?}  
  
"Oh, I was the one to put together the Millennium Puzzle." Yugi replied in a hesitant manner.  
  
{WHAT?!?!} Tora leapt up and planted her forepaws on Yugi's chest. {What's going on? Why don't you have it on you?}  
  
Yugi opened his mouth to enter when the door to the room slammed open. Two set's of violet eyes jerked to the opening of Yugi's hiding place. Quickly Tora scrambled off the boy's lap and out of the small area. Finding a much more concealed hiding place she turned and watched her friend's hiding spot. Yugi had come partially out and was getting ready to call her.  
  
{No Yugi. I can't help you if whoever just entered knows I'm here. Please trust me. I will not leave without you.}  
  
Yugi gulped and nodded, retreating back into the safety of the shadows. Unfortunately that safety came to a quick end as a huge wall of a man came around the corner. Without a word he bent down and literally dragged Yugi from his hiding spot.  
  
"NO, let me GO!" Yugi struggled in the bigger man's grip, pounding on the meaty arm of his captor.  
  
The man ignored the boy's protests and dragged him out of the room, slamming the door and cutting the sound. Throughout the entire process an angry pair of violet-green eyes watched in anger, on her forehead the eye of Anubis glowed brightly in the dying light.  
* * * * * * * * *  
  
Treska: Tada! Another chapter done. Sorry it took me so long.  
  
Yugi: Why does everyone pick on me so much. Every other story out there has me in some sort of trouble.  
  
Tora: That's just 'cause you're so cute.  
  
Yugi: *Sweatdrops*  
  
Treska: *Coughs* Ah reviews would be greatly appreciated. 


	5. Prisoner

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh or any of the characters. Please don't sue, I've got no money. Only original things of mine are the Millennium Bracelet/Collar, the cat and Tora.  
  
Alright time for the codes to come out. And the winners are:  
  
/aibou to yami/  
  
//yami to aibou//  
  
"speech"  
  
'thought'  
  
{Telepathy}  
  
[Aibou interjecting her own thoughts during a telepathic conversation] (Ya I know the codes are going to get very confusing.)  
  
Another note, this story takes place after Battle City. However since I have yet to see the ending of it I'm going to take a couple of assumptions. Yugi has won battle city. Marik (or is it Malik?) still has one God card, the Millennium Rod and a really bad attitude. Seto is probably not too fond of Yugi too, but I'm not sure if this is going to change. Also I might have romance in the later chapters. There is probably going to be at least one yoai pairing.  
  
Andrea-likes-Yugi&Ryou()-Hey, glad you like the story.  
  
Halfling Elf-Ack-. . . .Nooooo evil puppy dog eyes! Must . . . resist. *Drops to floor* To powerful. . . Okay I'll write more. Just turn those things off.  
  
Rosz of the Angel- Thanks for reviewing. I'm glad you like the longer chapters and think the story is going so well. I'll try and keep it up, but my muse is being incredibly fickle with this story. *Glares at small silver dragon perched on computer*  
  
Okay on with the fic.  
  
* * * * * * * *  
  
Yugi's small body hit the floor of the cabin with a muffled thud. Trying not to groan he carefully picked himself up. Out of the corner of his vision a booted foot came flying and caught him in his stomach, sending him spinning onto the floor again. The teen whimpered as a strong hand grabbed his already sore arm and slammed him into a chair.  
  
Yugi nervously eyed his two captors. One was the human wall that had dragged him in. The man had a flat face and flat blue eyes. With a mop of scraggly brown hair he looked like he also had the intelligence level of a wall. The other man was thin, pointy faced and bald. His eyes were dark green and glittered with amusement at the boy's predicament. Yugi hated those eyes; they got brighter as the man got more excited. And he got excited by causing pain.  
  
The room itself was completely bare of decorations and the only furniture was a couple of chairs, a refrigerator and a table. But the only thing Yugi was interested in was the glittering golden object lying in the center of that table. The Millennium Puzzle lay on its side, the Eye of Anubis winked balefully in the light. Three of the puzzle's pieces rested next to it, waiting to join up and release the spirit inside.  
  
"Well brat, are ya going to but that thing together tonight?" The smaller man said.  
  
"No." Yugi replied in a quiet voice.  
  
SLAP!!  
  
Yugi's head jerked at the force of the blow. His eyes stung and he had to bite the inside of his cheek to keep the tears from coming. He wouldn't let them see him cry so soon. They would get enough of that later.  
  
"You know if you finished it we would let you go. No more pain." The man wheedled.  
  
Yugi remained silent. The wall raised his hand again. But the blow never came. The door of the cabin slammed open revealing another man. This one had blonde hair done in a crew cut. He was solid muscle, but his eyes were a strange golden colored and slit like a snake's. He glanced at the scene then slammed the door shut. The smaller man cowered slightly and the wall just stood there.  
  
"Well!" The newcomer growled.  
  
"Sorry boss, but the kid ain't cooperating." The little man whined.  
  
The man growled and stalked over to the teen. Yugi looked up and shivered. The man's eyes were just empty of any emotion. The man leaned down and stared straight into Yugi's eyes. Yugi tried to lean back, but the man caught his shoulder; digging nails into the teens shoulder he started to squeeze. Yugi squirmed in the man's grip, whimpering in pain.  
  
"You have a choice." A cold, gravely voice hissed. "Either you put that puzzle together right now, or I get to test all my new toys on you."  
  
Without releasing his grip on Yugi's shoulder he reached over for a bundle on the table that Yugi hadn't noticed before. The man quickly undid the ties and unrolled the cloth. Yugi's eyes widened in horror as his gaze fell on the various knives, fork like object and other pointed things. There were also several tubes filled with some type of liquid. Only one of the labels was facing Yugi. It read hydrochloric acid.  
  
"Well?"  
  
"No, I won't."  
  
The man growled and squeezed even harder. Yugi couldn't stand it and screamed. Suddenly the room was filled with a bright golden light, a feral roar over powered Yugi's own cry and the sound of something collapsing outside filled the space of a couple of seconds. There was a moment of silence and then something crashed through the window, bits of glass tumbling down like solid rain. The wall clomped over and picked up a small log that was from the pile of wood right outside that window.  
  
"What the hell was that?" The small man asked.  
  
"How should I know?" Crew-cut snarled. "Bruce go check it out."  
  
The wall nodded and quickly exited the cabin.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
Ten feet away from the cabin a pair of glowing eyes watched the door open to release the living wall. The eyes watched as the big man's gaze swept over the line of trees marking the boundary of the forest. When that gaze came back a second time the watcher made sure that the bushes concealing it moved. The human wall noticed and started to lumber towards it. The shadow moved. Time for the hunt.  
  
* * * * * * * *  
  
Bruce came up to the spot where he had seen movement. Not finding anything he scanned the wooded area. Five feet into the woods he noticed movement in another bush. A smarter man would have thought that something wasn't right. There wasn't a breeze that night and the bushes lowest branches were a good half foot off the ground, but the entire thing was to thin to hide a person. A smarter man would have thought that odd and gone back for help. Too bad Bruce wasn't that smart and headed for the shaking bush.  
  
As he moved forward a large shadow stalked him. On silent steps it stalked him; amethyst eyes sprinkled with jade followed the blundering human. He had to be further away; he was going to help bring the rest of the prey out.  
  
The man got closer to the bush, then sidled to one side and peered behind. Nothing there. Another glance around and this time he saw something another five feet in front of him move. He didn't know what, other than it seemed to be low to the ground. He lumbered after it, venturing further into the darkened woods with only the light of the full moon to light his path.  
  
He stopped when he got to were the shadow had been. He was now well into the woods and had lost sight of the cabin. Bruce straightened. He had a very bad feeling. He glanced around, the small hairs on the back of his neck prickled. A cold wind stirred itself and whistled through the branches of the trees, determined to help add to the eerie feeling that had come over Bruce. He looked around but saw no one. He didn't like this feeling that had decided to clamp over his heart. The white's of his eyes became slightly more pronounced as he nervously scanned the area.  
  
An echoed growled sounded behind him. Bruce turned in time to see something large and powerful charge from the shadows. Just before his life left him Bruce remembered the name of that feeling that had come over him.  
  
It was fear.  
  
* * * * * * * *  
  
"What could be taking so long?" The little man was pacing in front of the door.  
  
Crew-cut only paid him a small amount of attention. He was busy testing out some of the pointer toys on his small prisoner. He had refused to tie the kid's hands as the small man had suggested. Crew-cut liked seeing his victims try and stop the hand holding his toys. It brought him something akin to joy to show his victims how much power he had over them.  
  
"What could have made that light? Could it have been something connected with that?" He waved at the puzzle sitting on the table. "I don't like it, it gives me the creeps. Man where is Bruce?"  
  
Crew-cut growled and slammed what could only be described as an oyster fork into the kid's shoulder making him cry out. "I don't know and I don't care. Why don't you go look for him."  
  
The little man gulped and looked at the gold eyed man. "Y. . .you can't be serious?"  
  
"Do you want to find out how my toys work?"  
  
The little man gulped again and shook his head frantically. Quickly he pulled out his gun and exited the cabin. That guy was seriously whacked out. He couldn't believe some of the stuff that cold eyed monster did. And he was a monster. Sure he and Bruce got their kicks out of beating someone up, but well. . . torture was a little extreme.  
  
The little man shrugged to himself as he made his way around to where the wood pile was. When he got there he noticed that the once neat pile of wood had been scattered, almost as if something had exploded out of it. Through the window he could see his superior pointing to the puzzle on the table. The kid had tears streaming down his face, but still shook his head. The gold eyed man grabbed one of the little tubes from his case and advanced on his victim. The small man quickly scuttled away, but wasn't quick enough to avoid the scream of pain that leaked through the shattered window.  
  
He scanned the woods as he moved away from the cabin. Something moved just inside the line of trees. He smiled, hopefully it was Bruce and he had caught whatever had made that light. Quickly he trotted to the spot that the movement had taken place. When he arrived he found nothing. The little man frowned, something wasn't right. He scanned the woods again and noticed another quick movement in the distance. Cautiously he headed towards it.  
  
"Bruce, that you? Come on man this isn't funny." The little man switched the safety off on his gun. "Bruce."  
  
Something dawned on him. There wasn't any noise. Normally you could hear crickets or some other type of insects making noise. The woods were silent. The little man gulped. Another quick scan and he saw it again. That movement in the shadows; or more precisely a shadow moving quickly. A big shadow.  
  
"B. . .Bruce? Man this is no time to be playing games!" He started to back up, away from the shadow and further into the woods.  
  
Again the shadow moved; this time a weird echoed growl accompanied it. The little man gulped, terror goading him into some sort of action. He turned to run and tripped over something lying half concealed in the shadows. He sat up, looked at what he tripped over and screamed.  
  
It was Bruce. Eyes wide in frozen terror. The leaves around him gleamed wetly in the silvery moonlight.  
  
The little man scrambled away from the corpse, his mouth still open in horror. He fought his way up and backed up into a tree. Waving his gun around he tried to see if anything moved. To his left the shadow moved again. He pulled the trigger, a crack sounded and the shadow leapt away. The little man tried to follow it, unloading his gun into empty air. A clicking sound echoed in the still night. The double growl came again.  
  
The man turned and ran. His thin legs pumping has hard as possible he crashed farther into the woods. Ragged breathes filled his hearing as thin branches thrust out in front of him, determined to slow him down. Behind him he knew that thing was following him. He ran harder. All he had to do was out distance it.  
  
Sharp, stinging pain ripped through his right calf. He screamed out as he stumbled and almost fell. Amazingly he was able to regain his balance and continued to run. Fear can help you do amazing things. Unfortunately his pursuer didn't really have a problem about keeping up and another burst of pain on left calf let him know it. This time he did fall.  
  
Scrambling he flipped himself over, only to be faced with a pair of purple-green eyes and pearl white fangs glittering in the dark. He was able to scream one last time before his voice was forever silenced.  
  
* * * * * * * * *  
  
Crew-cut stared at the door as the blood curdling scream ripped through the air. And this time it wasn't his prisoner making those sounds. He contemplated the door, ignoring the small hands that gripped his wrist and tried to dislodge it. As he though he clamped down harder on the teen's shoulder, drawing out another shriek of pain. He thought for a moment then dragged the kid up.  
  
The stalked to the door and wrenched it open, tossing the brat out. He watched as the kid sailed a good five feet through the air and land with a thud on the ground. Crew-cut frowned. He should have heard bones crunching. He shrugged. He would get to grind enough of this kid's bones in a minute.  
  
Leaving the door open he stalked over to the small body that was trying to get up. He kicked at his victim, making the boy cry out in pain as he was flipped over. Placing his boot on the kid's chest he slowly started to apply pressure. The teen cried out again and started to claw at the leg holding him down.  
  
"Whoever you are come out, or I'll crush the brat!" Crew-cut bellowed. Movement at the edge of the forest caught his eye. "I can see you. Come out!" He applied some more pressure making the kid gasp in pain.  
  
He almost didn't notice the movement to his left. He had just enough time to register something charging out of the woods before something large and compact slammed into him. He and the shadow were taken several feet from the prone teen. They tumbled around on the ground then quickly separated. What he saw made his jaw hit the ground.  
  
Standing in front of him was a feline the size of pony. It was a sleek as a panther; its coat was a mix of grays and black. Several things stuck in the madman's mind though. On the creature's forehead in light gray was the Eye of Anubis. The second thing that struck the man was that the cat's eyes were a strange mix of violet and jade and extremely intelligent. The creature growled and the man felt the first inkling of fear. The growl echoed itself.  
  
For a moment man and beast eyed each other. Neither one moving, neither one quite willing to take that first step. 'Or maybe I'm just too scared and its waiting' the man thought. A twig snapped and the man looked away from those eerie eyes to see that his victim had gotten up and was heading for the house. Something clicked in his brain. The feline was protecting the brat. So if he had the kid the monster wouldn't attack him. He took a step towards the teen.  
  
The feline was quicker though. It lunged forward, its jaws clamping onto the same wrist that had earlier been clutched by the teen. This time however it was not a weakened effort. Powerful jaws closed, delicate bones snapped under the pressure. Then with a jerk of the head the feline sent the man flying away from his intended prey.  
  
The pain the man experienced in his hand was horrendous, which was quickly multiplied as he threw out that hand to break his fall. It also broke that arm. The man winced in pain but quickly got up and ran for the woods. Instinct was taking over and he ran for his life. Crashing through the woods he unknowingly imitated his dead underling's actions.  
  
Just when he though he might escape the horror at the cabin a shadow jumped in front of him. He skidded to a halt as the feline emerged from the darkness. It slowly slinked towards him, eyes glowing in the night.  
  
"What the hell are you!?!" He gasped, stumbling backwards.  
  
{[We are the guardians.]} The voice growled. It echoed upon itself causing the man to pale. {[You hurt one of ours. Now you shall pay.]}  
  
He didn't reply, just ran. The monster followed. It didn't waist time toying with this prey. The feline lunged forward and sank razor sharp claws into the man's back, catching the spine and dragging him down.  
  
The man flipped over to meet cold eyes. For the first time he noticed the area around the creature's mouth was stained red. His eyes widened at the implications of that color. A paw rested itself on his throat. Sharp pricks made themselves known on his neck. He looked into those feline eyes. There would be no chance for life.  
  
He screamed.  
* * * * * * * * *  
Treska: Ta da. *Rereads through chapter* Wow, that's a cool chapter.  
  
Yu-Gi-Oh cast: *Mouths hanging open*  
  
Treska: Well, I thought it was cool  
  
Yami:*Completely enraged.* What!!!!! Cool! What were you thinking? You tortured Yugi throughout the entire thing. How could you do that!?  
  
Treska: *Slowly backing away* Hey I needed to show what types of people my main bad guy was willing to hire.  
  
Yugi: *Whimpers.* I'm going to have nightmares for weeks now.  
  
Yami:*Bellows in rage, grabs cheese grater and runs after Treska.* Come back here and I'll show you what torture really is.  
  
Treska:*Running away very fast.*  
  
Ryou: *Whispers to Joey* Do you think we have anything to worry about?  
  
Joey: *Not even bothering to be quiet* I don't think so. Most people are content to torture Yugi.  
  
Yugi: *Whimpers some more.*  
  
Treska: *Runs by* Please review. Hopefully if I get enough Yami won't kill me.  
  
Yami: *Also running by* Wanna bet? 


	6. In the Forest

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh or any of the characters. Please don't sue, I've got no money. Only original things of mine are the Millennium Bracelet/Collar, the cat and Tora.  
  
Alright time for the codes to come out. And the winners are:  
  
/aibou to yami/  
  
//yami to aibou//  
  
"speech"  
  
'thought'  
  
{Telepathy}  
  
[Aibou interjecting her own thoughts during a telepathic conversation] (Ya I know the codes are going to get very confusing.)  
  
Another note, this story takes place after Battle City. However since I have yet to see the ending of it I'm going to take a couple of assumptions. Yugi has won battle city. Marik (or is it Malik?) still has one God card, the Millennium Rod and a really bad attitude. Seto is probably not too fond of Yugi too, but I'm not sure if this is going to change. Also I might have romance in the later chapters. There is probably going to be at least one yoai pairing.  
* * * * * * * * *  
The moon watched the woods below it, casting a silvery light on every leaf and branch in the desolate forest. A chilly wind raced through the branches, snatching up dead leaves and dancing with them in a thoughtless joy. The simple reality of the moment was destroyed as a tri-colored haired boy dashed through the quiet scene. His harsh breathing and pounding steps broke the wind's quiet song.  
  
Somewhere far behind him a scream ripped through the air. Yugi turned his head, his eyes wide with panic and fear. Because of this he didn't notice the tree root that decided to make its presence known. The teen yelped as his foot caught, twisting his ankle painfully. He fell in a tumbled heap, desperately clutching to some object in his hands.  
  
For a moment the only movement was the tiny wind the teen made as he sucked air into burning lungs. Then slowly he started to push himself up. As one hand levered his body up, the other clutched the unfinished pyramid that he had retrieved from the cabin. Once he was standing Yugi tried to put his one foot down. A thousand little daggers shot up from his ankle. Yugi bit back another yelp. Perhaps he could still walk on it? He took one step, gritted his teeth as pain once again shot up his ankle, then another.  
  
It was too much. Yugi collapsed onto the forest floor once again, stirring the dead leave around him. Trying to hold back the sobs that threatened to come, Yugi scooted until his back hit a tree. Once he was somewhat settled he fished around in his pant's pocket and pulled out the three missing puzzle pieces. With shaking hands he placed them in their slots. A final click and the puzzle glowed brightly, sending everything into stark relief. The glow faded.  
  
Yugi quickly threw the chain around this neck; the puzzle became a comforting weight against his sore and beaten chest.  
  
/Y. . .Yami?/  
  
The puzzle flashed again. Now there were two beings in the wood. The newcomer looked just like Yugi with a few noticeable differences. This person's golden bangs stood straight up and he was slightly taller. His eyes were a deep ruby red that held confidence and, presently, anger. But the biggest difference was that he seemed, somehow, darker than the smaller teen.  
  
Yami looked around; finally spotting the smaller boy huddled at the base of the tree. //Yugi!// Yami dropped beside his small hikari and wrapped his arms around him. //What's going on? How did you escape?//  
  
The threatening tears finally broke through the damn of Yugi's control. Yugi cried, his words becoming choppy as he tried to explain. /S. . .some sort of mo. . .monster came. It. . .it came after the men. The one . . .he dragged me out and was trying to force . . .it out. The. . .monster. . .shadow. . .it knocked the man away from me. I went back and got the puzzle. . .and I ran. Yami, I think that thing killed those men./  
  
'Good' Yami snarled to himself. Those men deserved whatever they got for harming his hikari. For a few moments he concentrated on comforting Yugi. As he held the small boy he weighed his options of his next action. 'I've got no way of helping him. No money. No phone. And now there's some sort of monster out there that I do not know anything about.'  
  
//Yugi we should leave this area as soon as possible.//  
  
/My ankle is twisted. I don't think I can walk./ Yugi heard Yami growl and he cringed. /I'm sorry./  
  
Yami quickly comforted his light. //It's not your fault Yugi. I'm just trying to figure out how to get you out of this mess.//  
  
/How did you know what was going on?/ It had occurred to Yugi that Yami should have no idea what was going on. He had been trapped in the Millennium Puzzled since this whole ordeal began.  
  
Yami though for a second. //Our link has become so strong that even with the puzzle in pieces I could get a sense of some of your stronger emotions.// The ancient spirit shuddered for a moment. //I could feel your fear and pain. But I could do nothing to help you. Why didn't you put the puzzle together earlier, I could have helped?//  
  
/That's what they wanted. The second I put it together they would have taken it. They wanted your power; I couldn't let them have it. I couldn't let them hurt you to get it. So I just kept stalling./  
  
//Aibou they could have killed you to get that power!// Yami was horrified at the aspect of loosing his light. He was also deeply touched that Yugi cared so much for him.  
  
/I didn't care. I didn't want them to hurt you./ A stirring breeze made Yugi shiver.  
  
Yami frowned. The night was growing colder and there was no protection for Yugi. True, the spirit could touch and hold his light, but that wasn't real protection against the elements. Yami was still a spirit and with no actual body to provide warmth Yugi might freeze out here. Yugi couldn't walk and there was no way Yami would suggest that he even try. Especially since the only source of shelter was the cabin.  
  
Yami was still trying to figure out how to protect Yugi from the cold when the bushes directly in front of him shook. Both teen's heads snapped up at the rustling sound. Two glowing eyes appeared among the leaves. Yami jumped up, determined to protect his hikari this time.  
  
"Whose there? Show yourself!"  
  
{[Quite demanding aren't you?]} Two voices called out from the bushes. The effect sent goosebumps down Yami's spine.  
  
"Either show yourself or be prepared to be thrown into the shadow realm."  
  
The voices chuckled. {[Pharaoh Yami you always were one for dramatics.]}  
  
Yami blinked in confusion, some of the angry energy draining out of him. "You know me?"  
  
A large shape stepped out of the shadows. It was a cat the size of a pony with the grace of a panther. Its coloring was splashes of grays and black, with the Eye of Anubis in light gray on its forehead. Its eyes were a mix of amethyst and jade. It stepped fully into the clearing and sat down, cocking its head to one side.  
  
{[Yes Yami. I am Tora your Captain of the Royal Guards.]}  
  
"I'm sorry, but I have no recollection of you. My memories have been sealed away. Only recently have I been getting glimpses of my past."  
  
Tora/Aibou sighed. {[I had a feeling that might be so. But one could hope. Yugi are you all right?]}  
  
Yugi nodded. "Tora? What happened? You were a lot smaller the last time I saw you."  
  
Tora/Aibou chuckled. {[Apparently the magic in the Millennium Bracelet has become somewhat skewed. Instead of letting me use my Shadow Magic directly it transformed Aibou and I into this very large feline. It has also melded our minds completely.]}  
  
Yami, slightly lost at this point, spoke up. "Who is Aibou?"  
  
Tora quickly launched into the tale of what happened since her awakening. She kept it as short as possible, mainly because Yugi had started to shiver uncontrollably. {[What do you think we should do now Pharaoh Yami? Should I take Yugi back to the cabin?]}  
  
Yami could hear the disgust in Tora's voice at the last comment and he agreed with it. But Yugi was cold. "I do not want to but it's going to get very cold."  
  
"Please. I don't want to go back." Yugi replied quietly.  
  
"Tora could you keep him warm? How long are you going to keep that form?" Yami glanced at the large feline. Yugi could easily curl up against her. He would be protected not only from the elements but any actual threats. He doubted that anything would try and tangle with this unnatural feline.  
  
{[I think we will remain like this until we actually try and separate the bond.]} Tora tilted her head and Yami watched as her eyes unfocused and then focused again. {[Aibou says that she wants to stay like this to protect her cub. She also wants to know what we are going to do tomorrow.]}  
  
Yami thought for a second. "Since we have no idea where we are I will use the power in the Millennium Puzzle to try and locate the Millennium Ring. That tomb robber should still be in Domino."  
  
An unidentifiable emotion flicked across Tora's eyes, Yugi was the only one who noticed the fleeting glimmer. He wondered what Bakura had done to the Captain to get that reaction. He was tempted to ask when another gust of wind came whistling through, chilling the bare chested teen. Tora noticed and started purring as she trotted over to him.  
  
{[Tomorrow then my Pharaoh. Until then let us get some sleep. Yugi, rest your head on my paws. I'll curl around you to keep you warm.]}  
  
"Thank you." Yugi sighed as he snuggled closer to the huge animal. His shivering started to ease as the warm bulk enveloped him. Soon he was drifting off to sleep.  
  
Yami watched as Yugi slept, waiting until the teen was completely off in dream land. The questions he was about to ask would disturb his gentle light. "Tora, what happened to those men?"  
  
Tora's eyes narrowed into slits. {[They are dead. I would not have left them among the living after what they did to Yugi.]}  
  
"How does your aibou feel about this?"  
  
{[Aibou and I are of one mind on this. We were protecting a cub, one that we have claimed as our own. I myself might be a warrior and will protect you and any of your friends Pharaoh Yami, but she is an animal. She only saw a young one being hurt. That is the main reason for our joining.]}  
  
Yami nodded. He noticed there was no remorse in Tora's voice as she explained the fate of those men. Yami would have killed them himself if he had not been trapped in the puzzle. No one hurt Yugi as long as he was around.  
  
"Thank you Tora. And please call me Yami. I am no longer a pharaoh." With that the ancient spirit disappeared.  
  
Tora blinked, then glanced down at the bundle curled against her. Yugi's face was so calm and peaceful it was hard to imagine this child had gone through the hell Tora had witnessed in the window. Carefully she bent so she could clean his wounds with her rough tongue. When she was sure that every scrape and wound had been cleaned she rested her head.  
  
{[We will not let anything happen to them.]} Feline and girl vowed as they closed their eyes.  
* * * * * * *  
Treska: *Sneaks into room, glances around and breathes a sigh of relief* Good Yami isn't here. Anyway another chapter done. Go me.  
  
Joey: *Wandering in* Hey when are you going to get the rest of us inta this story?  
  
Treska: *Shruggs* Should be in the next chapter. But I'm having problems. I don't know if my stories are getting into the Yu-Gi-Oh section.  
  
Ryou: *Meanders into the room* What do you mean?  
  
Treska: I keep checking. I see the story go into the Just In Section of Yu- Gi-Oh, but not the main one. Other stories do. I wonder if I'm doing something wrong when I upload. *Wave to the almost none existent audience* Hey if anyone can tell me if I'm doing something wrong let me know. I really want people to read this story.  
  
Yami: *Sneaking in. Still has cheese grater and now has obtained hole puncher.* Oooohhhhh Treskaaaaaa. We still have to discuss chapter five.  
  
Treska: *Starts running away* Hey I was much better with this one, wasn't I?  
  
Yami: *Chasing* That won't make up for it!  
  
Ryou & Joey: *Sweat drops*  
  
Yugi: *Peeks in* Do you think he'll actually catch her?  
  
Ryou & Joey: Naw.  
  
Yugi: Please review. 


	7. Return Home

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh or any of the characters. Please don't sue, I've got no money. Only original things of mine are the Millennium Bracelet/Collar, the cat and Tora.  
  
Alright time for the codes to come out. And the winners are:  
  
/aibou to yami/  
  
//yami to aibou//  
  
"speech"  
  
'thought'  
  
{Telepathy}  
  
[Aibou interjecting her own thoughts during a telepathic conversation] (Ya I know the codes are going to get very confusing.)  
  
* * * * * * * * * *  
  
It was that very annoying feeling of something tickling her nose that slowly dragged Tora from a sound sleep. Not wanting to wake up she twitched the offended appendage. It worked for a second, but then the gentle brushing of something ventured into her left nostril. Tora let out a small snort whatever it was out. Unfortunately, like all things determined to waken those comfortably asleep, the light tickling thing returned. In complete retaliation she sneezed.  
  
And was promptly elbowed in the gut.  
  
Startled Tora leapt up. Or at least tried to.  
  
In her only partially awake state Tora had forgotten two things. One was that she was still in the form of a rather large feline. The second was that Yugi had been tucked into her curled form. Because of this Tora tripped over the smaller teen, got disoriented when she did this and because everything was the wrong size. The resulting effect was a blur of black and grey landing ungracefully on her back and in a bush.  
  
Yugi was, needless to say, also startled by the abrupt movement. That and having a very large and heavy cat step on your arm is not the most pleasant of awakenings. Letting out a small squeak he quickly scrambled out of the way and backed up against the nearest tree. Bright violet eyes darted around as he tried to figure out what had attacked him and/or woken him up. He quickly spotted Tora thrashing and growling in the bushes. He held his breath, still unsure if this creature was a friend or not.  
  
Tora finally managed to extract herself from the offending vegetation. She promptly sat down and started to clean all of the dirt, leaves and twigs off of her coat. She didn't even look up when someone chuckled.  
{[This is not funny Yami!]}  
  
The ancient spirit gave another soft chuckle. "Oh but it is my friend. You should have seen your face. A cross eyed cat is something of a sight."  
  
Yami then focused on his aibou. "How did you sleep last night Yugi?"  
  
"A lot better." Yugi's face became shadowed for a brief moment. Then it passed and he smiled up at Yami. "So Tora is a friend?"  
  
"Yes, one from my past." Yami took a seat next to his hikari and pulled him into a light embrace. He was inwardly pleased when Yugi rested his head on his shoulder. Both watched the disgruntled feline rid herself of any dirt. Yami sighed. "I wish I could remember more about her though."  
  
"Why? You don't trust her?"  
  
"No it's not that. I just feel. . .as if I am letting her down by not knowing anything about our pasts. She will know more about me than I do. I just am unsure about how to approach her."  
  
Yugi glanced up at his friend. "Just be yourself around her. If she is truly your friend then she will still hold your friendship close, even if you can't remember."  
  
Yami shook his head. "Still I feel as if I am betraying her somehow by not remembering."  
  
{[Except that you are not my Pharaoh. You should listen to your aibou. I would never abandon you. We will just have to restart and rebuild our friendship that is all.]} Tora commented without looking up from her grooming.  
  
"You heard us?" Yami asked startled.  
  
Tora leveled a very sarcastic glare at him. {[I'm a cat, I happen to have extremely good hearing. Now we should probably leave as soon as possible. Where are we going?]}  
  
"Domino City. But I don't know where it is from here." Yugi replied, his voice soft. Yami gave him a small squeeze.  
  
Tora got up and stretched. {[Yami, didn't you say that you were going to try and use the puzzle to find one of the other items?]}  
  
Yami nodded and got up. "Yes, hopefully that dust for brains tomb raider hasn't left Domino. Yugi I will need to take over for a bit."  
  
Yugi nodded and Yami disappeared in a brief flash of light. Tora watched in slight amazement as the puzzled glowed again and Yugi's eyes changed from violet to ruby red. She was also slightly surprised to note that Yugi had also grown a couple of inches. 'I wonder if Aibou changes when I take over.?'  
  
Yami closed his eyes and framed the Millennium Puzzle in his strong slim hands. In a flickering rainbow light the Sennen Eye appeared on the Pharaoh's forehead. The Puzzle gave off a soft golden light, flared once and then died. The puzzle danced a frantic jig on its chain trying to pull to the left then settled down. The crimson eyes opened and a tired sigh escaped from the teen.  
  
"I don't think I can locate the other item. The puzzle may be one of the strongest items, but its power is not in locating." Yami looked dejected.  
  
{[Maybe it's not suppose to be as showy as the Millennium Ring, but it did point in a direction]} Tora said staring to Yami's left, more importantly south. {[We should at least try this direction. If anything hopefully we'll run into a house with friendly people.]}  
  
Yami shivered. "Whatever we find let it be quick. Yugi cannot take much more abuse and this cold weather is not helping."  
  
Tora smirked. {[Are you sure it's just Yugi the cold is bothering?]}  
  
Yami growled at his former captain. "I'm a person of warm deserts and harsh winds. I do not enjoy this weather either. But it is Yugi's body that I inhabit. I do not want him to catch a cold or worse. If we are going to leave lets!" With that the former Pharaoh stalked off.  
  
/He is worse then cat in water./ Aibou mused.  
  
//Yes and sometimes twice as stubborn.// Tora said, trotting to catch up to her slim friend.  
  
{[If we are going to get home anytime soon then you and Yugi had best ride.]}  
  
Yami glanced at the feline. "Are you able to carry so much weight?"  
  
{[Yugi doesn't weigh that much and I'm very strong in this form.]}  
  
Yami climbed on and then let Yugi take back his body. Truth to tell he had spent a good deal of the night watching over his aibou. He sighed and gratefully retreated to his soul room. Yugi sent him comforting thoughts and wished him a good rest.  
  
Yugi focused on the real world once Yami had settled in his soul room. Carefully he shifted on Tora's back, hoping that he did not hurt his friend. Once he was settle he looked down at the feline's broad back, how was he ever going to stay on?  
  
Tora glanced back at her passenger. {[Wrap your arms around my neck Yugi. Don't worry about hurting me, you're very light.]} Yugi wrapped his thin, bruised arms around the cat's neck. The effort making him lay completely on her back, her soft fur tickling his chest and warming his body. {[Alright. Now hang on tight.]}  
  
That was the only warning Yugi had before he felt the muscles bunch between him and push off. Instinctively he tightened his hold on Tora's neck as they set off at an astonishing speed. Trees and bushes became a green-brown blur with only occasional gaps between them. The cold wind whipped at Yugi's face making him shiver and try to bury himself further in the mass of writhing muscle. Yet the whole time he never was jostled or bounced like he had expected. Tora moved with the grace of water, leaping smoothly over obstacles without jarring her passenger.  
  
"Tora how did you find me?" Yugi asked after a while of silent travel.  
  
{[I used the power of the bracelet. It gave me a general direction of where to look.]}  
  
"Why didn't you use the power to help Yami look for the Millennium Ring?"  
  
{[I did that before, when I first left the city where Aibou left. For some reason I can only sense the Puzzle. Not that I really care about the Ring.]}  
  
Yugi digested this new information along with the tone of it. It didn't surprise him that the Bracelet couldn't find the other items. That special trait seemed to belong solely to the Ring. But the way Tora had mentioned the Ring perked his interest. The captain seemed to be angry at the Ring. Or maybe the yami that inhabited it.  
  
Just like all long rides Yugi started to feel himself nod off. The steady rhythm of Tora's stride and her soft panting lulled the small teen into dream land. Before he could think of what might happen if he lost his grip his eyes closed and his head nestled gently at the base of Tora's skull.  
  
* * * * * * * * *  
  
A slim youth with honey blonde hair and sad amber eyes viewed the small group gathered in the tiny kitchen. He wore the uniform navy jacket and pants with a white shirt of the Domino High School. A slightly taller youth with brown hair stood next to a slim girl in a pink skirt, jacket and white shirt. Those two were also students at the blonde's school. The fourth person in the room was an elderly man with spiked gray hair. He wore a white shirt and overalls; his wrinkled worn face was the picture of misery.  
  
Joey gave a small sigh. He, Tristan and Tea had been visiting the Turtle Game Shop ever since Yugi's disappearance two weeks ago. Mr. Mouto had just received word from the police that they were closing the case. Without any hard evidence that Yugi had been kidnapped they had ruled it a runaway.  
  
But Joey knew better. Yugi was kidnapped along with Yami. But the police weren't into gut feelings and refused to listen to anyone. He and his friends had searched, without any luck. Now they faced a very difficult road. To keep trying with absolutely no clues or to admit that they might never see their small friend and his dark half ever again.  
  
Joey shook his head, trying to clear those traitorous thoughts. He would never stop looking for Yugi. His smaller friend would never give up on him and Joey would be damned if he gave up on Yugi. He needed some air that was all. Quietly he opened the door that would lead out to the very small back yard and was almost run over by something extremely big.  
  
Yells of surprise, a thunderous roar and the crash of plates erupted in the small kitchen. Tea and Tristan had jumped to one side of the room. Mr. Mouto had scrambled out of his chair, knocking it over. The. . .whatever. . . had crashed into the table, upsetting the dishes and becoming covered by the tablecloth.  
  
Joey dashed over to Mr. Mouto to make sure he was okay. Except for slightly shaken the elder seemed to be okay. Then all eyes turned to the moving lump under the cloth. Everyone jumped when a very large feline emerged, assisted by the last person anyone in the room expected.  
  
"Yugi!?!" Mr. Mouto whispered, unable to believe his eyes.  
  
Yugi's head jerked up so fast his spiked locks swayed on his head. "Grandpa!"  
  
The youth basically fell of his strange mount in his rush to get to his grandfather. The elderly man quickly embraced his beloved grandchild and burst into tears. He had almost given up hope and now he prayed that this wasn't some sort of twisted dream. He hugged his grandson close.  
  
"Yug? Is that really you buddy?" Joey couldn't believe his eyes.  
  
Yugi broke away slightly from his grandfather's embrace just enough to smile at his friend. Tears welled up in his eyes. "Of course it's me Joey. I missed you guys."  
  
Tea was having an all out flood coming from her eyes. "Oh Yugi. . .we. . never thought."  
  
The girl was unable to finish her sentence and Tristan seemed to be unable to speak. He just nodded at Yugi and scrubbed his eyes on his sleeve. He had never realized how much his smaller friend had meant to him.  
  
Joey, still needing reassurance that this wasn't his mind's sick joke, walked up to his friend and enveloped him in a massive bear hug. "Man Yug, I'm glad your back."  
  
"Yugi what happened to you?" Solomon was now able to get a good look at his grandson's battered form. He felt sick and enraged at the many cuts, bruises and gashes that decorated the gentle youth's back and chest.  
  
"It's. . .a long story. I'd rather not talk about it." Yugi replied quietly.  
  
"Okay, then how did you get here? And what was that that barged in?" Tristan asked.  
  
"Oh Tora helped. . ." Yugi looked for his large feline friend. He cried out in fear when he spotted the gentle beast collapsed on the ground, in her original small form, panting hard. Quickly he dashed over and picked up the faithful captain. "Tora are you okay?"  
  
There was no response. Yugi gently shook the small form. Still nothing. Worn hands crept into his line of vision. Yugi glanced up as his grandfather gently went over the unresponsive feline.  
  
"She passed out. Probably from exhaustion." Solomon said.  
  
"Uh, Yug? Wasn't she a lot bigger before?" Joey asked.  
  
"Yes, she's a holder of a millennium item." Yugi gently exposed the glittering item. "It helps her change her form. She did run straight all day. What should I do grandpa?"  
  
"We'll take her up to your room and make a little nest out of some old sheets. Then you are going to take a shower, eat and the sleep." Solomon stated.  
  
Yugi would have protested but his stomach growled loud enough so that everyone heard. Yugi blushed as everyone chuckled. "Okay grandpa."  
  
"Hey Yug, we'll be back over tomorrow to see how ya doin'." Joey said as he firmly guided Tea and Tristan out the door.  
  
"Okay guys. See you tomorrow." Yugi watched as his friends left.  
  
"All right young man, lets get Tora settled." Gently Solomon ushered his grandson upstairs.  
  
* * * * * * * *  
  
Treska: *Does happy dance in black robes and stupid hat* All right! Finally another chapter.  
  
Yugi: *Pointing to getup* What's with the robes.  
  
Treska: *Still dancing slightly* I graduated from college this past weekend. Now I'm free for a couple of weeks and hopefully I can get another couple of chapters done. Plus I have another idea for a Yu-Gi-Oh story.  
  
Yugi: *Cringes* Are you going to torture me in that one two.  
  
Yami: *Dashing in and putting a very protective arm around Yugi* She'd better not or I'll send her to the shadow relm.  
  
Treska: I'm just going to torture him a little. Nothing really serious.  
  
Yami: *Growls at Treska then pulls out tongs and some nails.* Oh no you won't.  
  
Treska: Eep. *Runs away with Yami right on her trail.*  
  
Bakura and Ryou enter  
  
Ryou: *Sweatdrops* Treska must be planning on torturing Yugi again.  
  
Bakura:*Brings out cheesegrater* I think I'll join Yami for this little session.  
  
Ryou: Why?  
  
Bakura: I had Marik look into Treska's mind to find out what is going to happen in the story. And there was something about me and Tora. But Marik wasn't to keen on sharing. So I'll just go and ask Treska myself.  
  
Ryou: *Watches Bakura leave and shakes head.* Please review. 


	8. Return to the Cabin

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh or any of the characters. Please don't sue, I've got no money. Only original things of mine are the Millennium Bracelet/Collar, the cat and Tora.  
  
Alright time for the codes to come out. And the winners are:  
  
/aibou to yami/  
  
//yami to aibou//  
  
"speech"  
  
'thought'  
  
{Telepathy}  
  
[Aibou interjecting her own thoughts during a telepathic conversation] (Ya I know the codes are going to get very confusing.)  
  
* * * * *  
* *  
  
The midday sun shone gently down, bathing the clearing in a golden light. In the middle of the clearing, ending at a dirt packed road was a small log cabin. The gentle singing of autumn birds and gliding through the crisp autumn air.  
  
The gentleness of the scene was interrupted when two sleek black town cars glided up to the cabin. The crunch of rubber on packed dirt made an odd discourse to the birds' calls. With only a small squeal of brakes alerted those to the sudden halt of the cars. The doors of each car opened, letting several different people out.  
  
From the second car emerged people dressed in sharp black suites and sunglasses. They quickly marched to the first car and stood several feet away from the men, or more specifically, man getting out. The first car only expelled two men. One was a medium built gentleman with very short straw colored hair. The other was a black haired man with Artic eyes.  
  
The icy man looked around the clearing then strode to the cabin, noting the open door and the complete lack of humanity. He took one look inside and then made a crisp turn and glanced at the men in suites. Quickly the four men walked up to him and stood in a straight line.  
  
"Find them."  
  
Without hesitation the suites spread out. First the scoured the outside of the cabin, then each of them went off in a different direction. The man left nervously walked up to his boss. Something was wrong, but he didn't dare ask. Ten minutes of nervous silence later and the suites were back.  
  
"Sir, we have found the three men stationed at this location." One of the suites intoned in a dead voice. "Each one, save John DeRanged, had his throat torn out. Mr. DeRanged's chest had been ripped out."  
  
"Expand your meaning."  
  
"We believe some type of large animal killed those men. However this area does not hold any such animal that would deal such damage."  
  
The cold man though for a moment. "Then there is a new element in the game. Interesting."  
  
With that small phrase the four suites marched back to the second car and climbed in. Four doors snapped shut at once, a metallic sound echoing in the clearing. The straw haired man slowly turned to his boss. The man was contemplating the cabin, no expression on his hard face.  
  
"Well it looks like an opportunity has been missed."  
  
"Very disappointing sir. Is there nothing you can do?" The other man timidly asked.  
  
"Yes there is actually. Now who hired these men?" He turned to face the other man.  
  
"I did sir. They had come highly recommended."  
  
"Apparently they were not as competent as you thought."  
  
"Do not worry sir I will not make that mistake again."  
  
"I should hope not." An arm shot out and a sharp crack startled the few birds resting on the roof.  
  
The cold man made his way to his car. The driver quickly got out and opened the door to the small leather encased cave. The man slid in with liquid grace a cell phone already in his hand. As the car started to move he pushed a few buttons.  
  
"Mr. Maliim you have just been promoted. Find someone to trail one Yugi Mouto. I want to know his every move."  
  
* * * * *  
* *  
  
Treska: *Walks tiredly into the room* Well another chapter. In what four hours?  
  
Joey: *Looking up from his duel with Grandpa* Ya and we finally got into this story. Hope you have more chapters with us.  
  
Tresak: *Glaring at the blonde* Don't worry I will and maybe I'll torture you too.  
  
Joey: *Turns a little green* Uh. . .maybe not. 


	9. Home

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh or any of the characters. Please don't sue, I've got no money. Only original things of mine are the Millennium Bracelet/Collar, the cat and Tora.  
  
Alright time for the codes to come out. And the winners are:  
  
/aibou to yami/  
  
//yami to aibou//  
  
"speech"  
  
'thought'  
  
{Telepathy}  
  
[Aibou interjecting her own thoughts during a telepathic conversation] (Ya I know the codes are going to get very confusing.)  
  
~~scene change~~  
  
* * * * * * * * *  
  
She was surrounded by soft warmth. She could feel the heat of the autumn sun on her back and the clawable comfort of human blankets underneath her belly. It was absolute bliss for her sore body, if only her stomach would stop reminding her that it was empty.  
  
Jade eyes blinked open and slowly adjusted to the afternoon light. The scrawny calico cat named Aibou took stock of her new surroundings. The room was small with light blue walls. A desk and dresser were pushed up against one wall. Both littered with objects to be explored later. A bookshelf and door graced the opposite wall. Across from where Aibou was currently curled up was a bed with a lump at its head.  
  
Slowly Aibou extracted herself from the nest of old towels. Carefully she stretched every part of her body noticing that, although stiff, she wasn't in any pain. This was very odd considering she and Tora had run at full speed for an entire day. With a passenger to boot.  
  
/Tora?/ No response. Aibou started to wash her paw as she tried again. /Tora? I is up now./  
  
When she still didn't receive a response the little cat became concerned. Remembering how Tora had shown her how to get to the soul room Aibou closed her eyes and willed herself there. She reopened her eyes when she no longer felt air moving around her.  
  
In front of her was a giant iron door with the Sennen Eye engraved on it. Aibou stared at it for a moment. The door was never closed before. Aibou trotted up to it and pawed lightly at it. When nothing happened she used both paws and claws. That attempt yielded nothing, so Aibou did the one thing that got results from all humans. She yowled at the top of her lungs.  
  
This one technique, which usually ended with either an open door or thrown shoes, failed. Aibou sat back on her haunches glaring at the door with feline distain and annoyance. When that didn't work Aibou did the only thing left. Tail held straight up she walked out as if she didn't care.  
  
Back in the real world Aibou blinked and promptly started to wash herself. Every inch of her form screamed indifference to the world, but Aibou was worried. Tora never ignored her. Tora was her friend and protector, she would never leave. She had promised.  
  
A muffled groan and shifting of the lump snapped Aibou out of her thoughts. A blur of color and she was standing on the edge of the bed. She watched as the lump shifted again and whimpered. The scrawny feline watched the exposed teen's face scrunch up as he fought through his dark dreams. Starting up her thunderous little motor, Aibou crept up the side of the bed. Finding a small delicate hand she nudged it with her nose until she had her head under it. Squirming until the hand covered her upper back, Aibou altered her purr until it matched the teen's ragged breathing. Slowly she started to purr in a rhythmic manner. Almost magically the teen settled down, fingers on the fur covered back twitching gently. Aibou let the purr come to a quiet halt and carefully crawled out from under the delicate hand.  
  
"Thank you."  
  
Startled Aibou jumped, lost her footing on the sheets, fell off the bed and still managed to land gracefully. With a dignified glare she looked up at the person who had spoken. The not-solid human that looked like the cub was standing next to the bed. Aibou stretched, showing this strange human she had meant to fall like that. Then she sat and started to wash a paw, sparing a quick glance at the teen.  
  
{You is welcome.}  
  
Yami knelt down and extended his hand. Aibou stopped her bathing to gaze at the offered appendage. Finally she got up and gave the slim fingers a cursory sniff. Deciding that it would be well worth her time she butted her head against the Pharaoh's fingers. Yami gently scratched behind the tiny being's ears, smiling slightly when a soft purr rumbled in her throat. The two stayed like that for several minutes. Then Aibou stopped purring and stalked to the open door and was gone with a flick of a tail tip. Yami stared after her for a moment before chuckling and took a seat at Yugi's desk chair, determined to make sure nightmares did not revisit his hikari.  
  
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  
Aibou trotted down the stairs as quickly as her still stiff body would allow. With the roving efficiency of any cat she started to explore her new home. The air here was very different than the outside winds. Here the scent of humans and fake fragrances hung in the air. Aibou sneezed once, wondering how humans could stand living in a place where the air didn't move. Still, if this is where her cub lived she would stay. That and being with human's meant constant food. She and Tora wouldn't have to catch their next meal.  
  
Eventually she found the kitchen. Her abrupt entrance from the night before was still evident by the upturned table and scattered chairs. An elderly human sat on a stool by the counter sipping something out of a mug and reading the paper. Tail twitching Aibou walked up and then jumped to the counter top. Gently butting the hand that held the mug she let out a small meow.  
  
"Oh, well good morning to you to." Solomon Mouto said, putting down his mug and scratching the small feline's head. He smiled as she started to purr. "I hope that you slept well. I'm surprised that you're up."  
  
{I is up. Tora still in strange room.}  
  
If the antics of last night had not prepared Solomon for what this cat might do, this would have probably given him a heart attack. Still it took him a couple of minutes to regain his composure. "Would you like something to eat? Um.what should I call you, we never did get formally introduced."  
  
{Fishes and milk. What you mean rest?}  
  
Solomon chuckled as he got out a saucer, milk and some tuna. "I mean what is your name little one?"  
  
{I is Aibou.} The cat gulped down the tender offerings as quickly as possible. She didn't mind as the older human pet her gently.  
  
"Well Aibou I want to thank you for bringing my grandson home. I had almost given up hope."  
  
Aibou looked up at this last statement. She had no idea what hope meant, but she understood the lost tone. {I is protecting cub. Now always. Tora protect not-solid cub. No more worry.}  
  
Solomon stared into those bright green eyes and knew without a doubt that Aibou would protect Yugi. For some reason the elder felt calm and confident that the feline would keep her promise. Aibou went back to eating and Solomon watched her with his quite gaze. Ever since Yugi had told him about Yami and the Millennium Items, Solomon had done some research on them. From what his research showed these powerful objects were suppose to go to humans and there were only suppose to be seven. He would make some phone calls later today; one of his colleagues must have heard rumors about an eighth item.  
  
Suddenly Aibou's head jerked up. Ears pricked forward she paused a moment, then leapt off the counter. For a moment she didn't have any traction on the linoleum floor, but finally bolted out the door. {Cub is awake!}  
  
Solomon quickly got off the stool and followed. He didn't want to know how Aibou knew Yugi was awake.  
  
~ ~ ~ ~ ~  
  
"Yami I'm fine, please just let me get up."  
  
The dark spirit glared at Yugi. "No. Not until your grandfather tells you you can. Yugi you could do more damage to your ankle. Wait for him to come in."  
  
Whatever protest Yugi would have made was cut short by the door opening wider and a blur of color leaping onto the bed. Aibou trotted up the length of the bed, making sure she didn't step on the small human. Purring loudly she reached his face and started to give him a much needed bath.  
  
{Cub is up!} She stated happily, her rough pink tongue washing Yugi's swollen eye.  
  
"Hey Aibou stop that! It tickles." Yugi giggled, finally grabbing the possessive cat and sitting her in his lap.  
  
{You is needing bath! Let go!} Aibou squirmed in his grasp. Unfortunately the youth's grip was strong enough that she couldn't get free. Finally she just gave up and stared at him. {You is staying put.}  
  
"So you are up." Solomon said as he entered the room (ignoring the glare he was receiving from Aibou). "How are you feeling this morning?"  
  
"A lot better Grandpa. Please tell Yami I can get out of bed." Yugi smiled at his grandfather.  
  
Solomon shook his head. "Sorry Yugi, I want a doctor to look at you first. I saw you limping up the stairs last night. I can also clearly see that you are very badly hurt. I don't want you aggravating any injuries."  
  
Yugi sighed, knowing that he was not going to persuade either of them. "Okay."  
  
Solomon rested a worn hand on his grandson's knee, tears shining in his eyes. "Oh Yugi. When I though I had lost you. You and Yami it nearly broke my heart. I won't have you straining yourself."  
  
Yugi leaned forward and hugged his grandfather. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to distress you."  
  
"Don't be sorry Yugi. I know you don't like staying in bed, but I want you well again." Solomon wiped his eyes. "Now what would you like to eat this morning?"  
  
Yugi visibly perked at this. "Pancakes please."  
  
Solomon chuckled. "I should have known. Yami is it possible I could talk to you downstairs?"  
  
Yami's head jerked toward to the older man. For a moment he hesitated, but a soft trill from Aibou let him know that someone was guarding Yugi. "All right."  
  
Yugi watched as two of the most important people in his life left the room. "I wonder what that was about?"  
  
{What is pancakes?}  
  
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  
  
Yami followed his aibou's grandfather into the kitchen slightly puzzled. This was the first time that Mr. Mouto had actually wanted to speak to him directly. He could feel Yugi's puzzlement through their link. Then his amusement, Aibou had said something that Yugi found funny. Yami smiled. Aibou would help relax Yugi in a way that Yami could not. And Yugi needed his mind occupied.  
  
"Is Yugi okay?" Solomon's quiet voice broke through Yami's slight trance.  
  
"Yes, Aibou just asked him what pancakes were. He's trying to explain it. Mouto-san is something the matter?"  
  
Solomon regarded the spirit before him. "I'm not quite sure. How are you feeling?"  
  
"I'm fine." Yami replied automatically. Yet when he met the older man's eyes, Yami knew that Solomon knew he was lying. "No, maybe I'm not. I blame myself for what happened to Yugi. I am supposed to be his protector and I let him down. On top of that a friend from the past has returned and I know nothing of her. I have failed.twice."  
  
Solomon put his hand on the spirit, startling the ancient youth to look at him. "Yami I know you would have moved all of heaven and hell to protect Yugi. You should not blame yourself for what has happened. Yes, it was terrible what happened to Yugi. What happened to you too, for that matter. But you must remember that you tried your best when you could. Dwelling on it will only make the matter fester, for both you and Yugi. As for you failing your friend from Egypt I doubt that you have failed. Memories are never truly lost, just buried."  
  
Yami gazed at the elder and wondered if he would ever possess the wisdom that this one had. "Thank you."  
  
"You're welcome. Now help me make breakfast for my grandson."  
  
~ ~ ~ 2Hours Later~ ~ ~  
  
Aibou was angry. The low growl in her throat let everyone in the room know it, especially the man that anger was directed to. Dr. Jim Smith knew that the small feline tucked away by his patient's hip was not happy with him. Dr. Smith actually didn't mind. He had made house calls before where pets tried to protect their master's from what they considered a threat. Whenever he was in this type of situation he was even more careful about what he did.  
  
"Okay Yugi let me see this ankle of yours."  
  
Calmly Yugi extracted his left foot and held it out to the doctor. The entire process was watched by an irate Aibou. Dr. Smith gently walked his fingers up and down Yugi's calf to make sure the sprain was only in the ankle. Gently he proceeded to prod the hurt area. Yugi gritted his teeth and withstood the tiny daggers lacing through his ankle. Suddenly he yelped as the doctor turned his foot.  
  
Aibou yowled and launched herself at the man. First she attacked the hand holding her cub's foot. Needle sharp claws and fangs sank into tender flesh. Startled and in some pain Dr. Smith leapt from his seat and shook his arm. Aibou just clung harder and employed her back claws to sink into the man's underarm. Dr. Smith stopped flailing and grabbed the small cat in the middle and tried to yank her off. Aibou let go of the appendage she was biting and twisted so that she could damage this one. Surprised by this move the doctor snapped his arm out and finally dislodged the cat. Aibou flew threw the air and hit the far wall. She fell/slid to the ground and slowly got up and prepared to launch herself.  
  
"Aibou stop." Yugi cried, trying to shake his grandfather off. "Please he's not trying to hurt me."  
  
Knowing she couldn't voice her true feelings in front of this stranger Aibou sat. She glared at the human towering before her. He glared right back, hatred in his eyes. Slowly he got his emotions under control. With a false voice he started to reassure the teen and elder that this sometimes happened and he was quite used to it. Calmly he disinfected his and put some bandages on the wounds. Aibou kept a close eye on him from where she sat. She did not like this human. She couldn't quiet explain why, but something about him was just wrong.  
  
"All right we're all done." Dr. Smith stated as he started to gather his equipment. "I'm going to prescribe some pain medication. Other than some severe bruising and several deep cuts, Yugi's pretty okay." He turned to Mr. Mouto. "His ankle is badly twisted. Make sure he stays off of it for at least two weeks. I'll write down what type of bandages you should use on it and you might want to consider getting him crutches. Also make sure that he eats healthy food, especially protein, he's lost several pounds due to his ordeal and he needs to recuperate. Keep him home from school until midweek. I'll check up on him next Monday."  
  
"Thank you doctor. And next time I'll make sure Aibou is not in the room."  
  
Dr. Smith let out a chuckle that only had a hint of contempt. "Mr. Mouto I don't think there's a way to keep a cat from a place she wants to be. Besides it's her job to protect those she belongs to."  
  
The two men left discussing the virtues of pets. Yugi settled back into bed as Yami emerged from the puzzle, Aibou remained where she was staring at the door.  
  
"Aibou what was that all about. I told you that he wouldn't purposely try and hurt me." Yugi said beckoning to the small feline to come back onto the bed.  
  
Aibou took the invitation and settled on the boy's lap. {Something bad. Scent bad, not know why.}  
  
"Hm. Animals, especially cats and dogs have always been able to sense the good or evil in a person." Yami mused. "But the question would be why the doctor made Aibou feel this way."  
  
{Hurt cub. Is all I need to know is bad. Smell like bad place found cub.}  
  
This startled both teens. "You mean he was at the cabin?"  
  
Aibou scratched behind her ear with her back paw. {No. Just smelled like bad place. Smell.like badness.}  
  
Yugi sighed. "I guess animals don't have a word for evil or cruel."  
  
Yami sat on the edge of the bed and helped ease the scratch Aibou had. "They don't think in those terms. For them everything is instinct and survival. They don't purposely try and hurt one another unless it's for survival. Only humans can cause harm for pleasure."  
  
"Yami there has to be more to those men kidnapping us. It wasn't just that the puzzle was worth something. They knew it had magic. One of them even thought that it was the puzzle that caused Tora's light."  
  
"It seems we still have an enemy on our tail. But why would they just send the doctor in to help you?"  
  
Yugi shrugged and shuddered. He didn't really want to think about it for the moment. The memories of the cabin were still very fresh in his mind still and the doctors proding did not help. Aibou and Yami glanced at each other, knowing instinctively what was going on in the teens mind. Yami arranged himself so that he could put an arm around Yugi. The small teen gratefully rested his head on the spirit's chest drawing comfort from him.  
  
Aibou waited then gazed around the room. Suddenly she stiffened, staring at something in the middle of the rug. Yami and Yugi looked at the cat in confusion as she leapt from the bed and landed on the floor. They watched as she examined the carpet under her feet. Not finding anything there she jerked her head to the left. Again she leapt and pounced on something that only she could see. For the rest of the morning the cat amused her new friends and cubs by hunting and pouncing on and invisible mouse. When Yugi and Yami's friends arrived shortly after lunch, Aibou found a dark corner under Yugi's desk to watch. Listening to their laughter she was content enough to take a small nap. She knew Yami would watch Yugi and hopefully Tora would come out of her room. Aibou curled up in a tight ball feeling for the first time like she was home.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Treska: Ta da. *Looks around.* Man I hope I didn't loose all of my audience.  
  
Yugi: *Walks in* Well the last time you updated was in June. What kept you?  
  
Treska: Sorry, but I was job hunting. Then I got hired by a school in August, had to move and only just got internet this Saturday.  
  
Yugi: Oh.  
  
Ryou: *Also walks in* When are Bakura and I going to appear.  
  
Treska: Um.hoping either chapter eleven or twelve. I'm actually not sure, but it's going to be soon.  
  
Bakura: If you even think of hurting Ryou you're dead meat.  
  
Treska: *Smiles evilly* Nope, that's your job.  
  
Ryou: I'm doomed.  
  
Treska: Please review. 


	10. Say Again!

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh or any of the characters. Please don't sue, I've got no money. Only original things of mine are the Millennium Bracelet/Collar, the cat and Tora.  
  
Alright time for the codes to come out. And the winners are:  
  
/aibou to yami/  
  
//yami to aibou//  
  
"speech"  
  
'thought'  
  
{Telepathy}  
  
[Aibou interjecting her own thoughts during a telepathic conversation] (Ya I know the codes are going to get very confusing.)  
  
~~scene change~~  
  
* * * * * * * * *  
  
A groan of awakening echoed off the high white marbled walls. Torch light flicked in between four tall pillars that stretched into shadowed nothingness. In the middle of the room was a large pile of pillows and cushions, a shifting form dislodging a few of the soft pieces.  
  
Striking violet eyes snapped open and then immediately closed with the wish to sleep some more. The soft orange-yellow glow played of a slightly angular face that still held feminine beauty. Light pink lips on slightly tanned skin were pulled into a grimace as the eyes once again opened. Long bone straight hair that had a strange mix of brown, black and silver spread out from the girl's head like a mismatched halo.  
  
Finally the girl stood up, her movements as precise and graceful as any cat. Carefully she stretched, her form showing one of a well muscled body loosely wrapped in a sleeveless tunic, plated knee length skirt slit on both sides. Her feet were covered by leather sandals with cords that wrapped up her calves. Her forearms were encased in armguards made of gold and lined with silver.  
  
After getting all of the kinks out of her sore body the girl glanced around her room. If anyone was to see her they would have thought her to be around seventeen, maybe even eighteen. In reality see was the five thousand year old spirit of the Captain of the Guards for a pharaoh back in Ancient Egypt. Now she resided in the Millennium Bracelet and shared the body of and underweight calico cat.  
  
The girl looked around and spied the closed door of her soul room. At this she quirked and eyebrow and frowned at the door. 'It must have sealed shut when I lost consciousness. Aibou must be worried.'  
  
The girl hurried forward and put her hand to the door. It immediately opened, but when Tora tried to go out something blocked her. The Captain glared at the door for a moment and then listened. Although her feline counterpart did not have a soul room, Tora could sense the feline was not in the hallway. Finally she sighed and, hoping that the magic would do what she wanted it to do, willed herself out into the real world.  
  
"AHHHH."  
  
Tora opened her eyes again at the startled and slightly frightened cry. She was standing in Yugi's room and apparently had materialized in the same spot where a young brown-haired girl was sitting. The blonde youth standing next to her had jumped back, not only because of Tora's sudden appearance, but because it was weird seeing someone literally overlapping another. Said girl had frozen when Tora had materialized.  
  
"Oops." Tora said and moved slightly so the picture didn't look as strange.  
  
"I see you haven't quite mastered the powers of your Item yet Tora." An amused voice asked.  
  
Tora stuck her tongue out at her ancient friend. "That stupid Item hasn't worked the way it's suppose to ever since I awakened. And nice to see you to Yami."  
  
Yami just grinned and shrugged, next to him Yugi giggled. "Did you have a nice rest Tora?"  
  
The Captain leaned up against the cluttered desk and rolled her shoulders, still getting the kinks out. "Yes, but I didn't realize that my soul room would be closed to Aibou. Did she mention anything?"  
  
"No, but then I don't think she completely trusts us yet." Yami said.  
  
Tora sighed. "Well that's only to be expected. We only did arrive and so far, with the exception of one person, all contact with humans has not been pleasant for her."  
  
Everyone in the room nodded. Finally Joey spoke up, curiosity getting the better of him. "So just who are you and how'd ya turn inta that huge cat?"  
  
"Joey, she might not want to talk about it." Tea hissed at her friend. Joey blushed, but noticed it was more Yami looking uncomfortable than Tora.  
  
"It's all right, um . . .I still don't know your names." Tora said glaring at Yami as if he had purposefully kept her in the dark.  
  
"Oh sorry Tora." Yugi said smacking himself in the forehead. "That's Tea, Joey and Tristan. They were here last night, but you had passed out."  
  
"Nice to meet all of you. To answer Joey's question I was once the Captain of the Guards when Yami was Pharaoh. My spirit was placed in the Millennium Bracelet. As for why Aibou and I became that huge cat, we're not quite sure. I think that we both had a very strong desire to help Yugi."  
  
"Did you try to use your shadow magic?" Yami asked as he regarded his former Captain.  
  
Tora thought back on the incident. "Yes, but when I tried to use it, it twisted." The girl frowned as she thought. "The sensation was strange, but it felt like the magic tried to do what I wanted, but got mixed up on itself."  
  
Yami shook his head. "I'm afraid that you will have to learn how to reuse your magic. The items were never meant for animals, because they have their own types of magic. Aibou's own natural magic and the shadow magic are getting mixed."  
  
"Great. So what happens now?"  
  
"The doctor said I can go back to school in a couple of days." Yugi said. "We'll just have to keep our eyes open."  
  
Everyone in the room nodded. As talked again turned back towards everyday happenings Yami and Tora exchanged dark looks. They knew that whoever was after Yugi and Yami wouldn't stop just because their plan failed at the cabin. Both spirits knew that they would have to be on their guard. Thankfully their enemy didn't know about Tora and Aibou. Hopefully that would be enough to stop this new evil.  
  
~ ~ ~ (At School Wednesday) ~ ~  
  
Yugi growled slightly to himself as he made his way up the school steps. Crutches are a pain. The smaller teen glared at the person walking next to him. The taller blonde teen was grinning fit to crack. Yugi growled again and patiently made his way up the stairs.  
  
"Yugi, how are you feeling?" Platinum blonde Ryou stood at the school entrance watching his smaller friend navigate the shallow stairs.  
  
"I'd be fine if I could get the hang of these things." Yugi said, smiling crookedly at Ryou.  
  
"Ah, come on Yug you're doing fine." Joey said as he followed Yugi down the hallway.  
  
"If you call doing fine nearly falling down the stairs and tripping every other step then yes I am." Yugi let go of the one rung on his crutch and reached for locker. Joey handed him his books that he had been carrying.  
  
Ryou chuckled. "So how is Tora and Aibou?"  
  
Yugi glanced down the hall and saw a small shadow dodge out of sight. "They're fine. I've got the strange feeling they've followed me to school though."  
  
Ryou's face turned serious. "They're guarding you. Do you think whoever kidnapped you is going to come after you again?"  
  
Yugi's face faltered. Quietly he spoke, voice shaking slightly. "I don't know, but I don't think that they'll leave what happened at the cabin alone. Yami's worried to."  
  
"Don't worry Yug. Between Yami and Tora someone would have to try extra hard to get to you now. And don't forget me, Tristan and Tea." Joey lightly squeezed his friend's shoulder as he took the books Yugi handed him.  
  
"Thanks Joey it means a lot to me."  
  
"Come on you to we're going to be late to class."  
  
~ ~ ~ (Afternoon )~ ~ ~ ~  
  
The day had gone by without much happening. Tora watched from her hide out in the dark corner between the drinking fountain and a trash bin. Yugi was getting his books from his locker. Joey, Tea and Ryou were chatting away with him (Joey complaining about the math homework). Yugi laughed at his honey-haired friend then started to exit the school. Tora followed the group, using the shadows of the school to hide the fact that she was there.  
  
Amazingly she had been able to sneak into the school and around it with ease. Although she and Yami had tried to sort out her shadow powers they still didn't work as they should. However that didn't stop her from tapping into the natural ease of stalking of a cat. Now Tora watched as Yugi and his friends left the school.  
  
{Yami?}  
  
She felt the pharaoh shift in his puzzle; Yami was still unsure how to relate to her. It made her sad, but she knew it would just take time. {Yes Tora}  
  
{I need to investigate something. Will you and Yugi be all right?}  
  
At this Yami chuckled. {Yes Tora. Besides Yugi has all of his friends with him.}  
  
Tora laughed and started out. She trotted down the street, keeping to the shadows. Finally the person she was searching for came into view. Ryou Bakura was walking down the street expertly dodging several other people, not knowing about his silent pursuer.  
  
~ ~ ~ (Ryou's House)~ ~ ~  
  
Ryou walked into the large house with a sigh and a shudder. School had been as boring as normal. Now he was home, alone. His father was away at another archeological dig and wouldn't be back for at least a month. Setting his book bag down in the hallway he went to the kitchen and made himself some tea.  
  
As he entered the living room he shuddered at the feeling of someone watching him.  
  
"So that useless pharaoh is back. Along with his pathetic light." Bakura finally became visible to his lighter half, a sneer gracing his features.  
  
"Yes, please Bakura leave them alone for a while."  
  
Bakura walked around until he was directly in front of Ryou. "What did you say?"  
  
"I . .I want you to leave them alone. Yugi's still hurt from his experience. Please just let them be."  
  
There was the sound of flesh striking flesh. The tea cup landed on the carpet, the dark brown liquid quickly soaking up in the white strands. "You never tell me what to do, you pathetic little creature." Bakura growled leaning over the fallen boy.  
  
Bakura raised his hand to strike his fallen light. Ryou flinched, but knew better than to try and duck the blow. Suddenly there was an angry yowl and a flash of brown, black and white leaped through the air. The blur of color attached itself to Bakura's wrist. Although the dark spirit was not actually hurt, the fact that his attacker didn't just pass through him startled Bakura enough to back away from his light.  
  
"What the. . ." Bakura shook his arm, dislodging the attacking creature.  
  
The creature turned out to be a small calico cat. The feline quickly jumped in front of Ryou and hissed at the spirit. There was a brief flash of light and a very pissed off Egyptian girl was standing in front of them both.  
  
"T . . .Tora?" Bakura could do nothing but stare in awe, and amazingly, fear.  
  
"How dare you!" Tora roared, hands balled into fists. "How DARE you strike our son!"  
  
* * * * * *  
  
Treska: *Arms akimbo* Ta da!  
  
Rest of Cast: *Mouths are hanging open*  
  
Ryou: Well . . .that's a plot twist I've never seen.  
  
Treska: *Giggles* Yup. Hope everyone likes. I wish to apologize for the very long wait. But I've got major writers block for this story. Please review like always. 


	11. Chapter 11

Hello Everyone

I'm sorry to say this isn't a new chapter from me. While I'm still struggling with coming up with new chapters I have stumbled across something that is alarming.

moderators are going around and yanking stories with an "M" rating, giving no warning to the authors. Supposedly this is to keep up with the compliance rules that they have invoked. My issue with this, if you think it's a problem why not create another rating such as "MA" or "M-17" so that readers know very clearly that the content in the story will be graphic.

I've personally gotten into what is deemed as "Lemon" (very graphically detail sexual or violent scenes). While not everyone's cup of tea they are still creative expressions and a written work. We can go down on the "Freedom of Speech" path as well if push comes to shove.

My main point is that these stories are just as well written as many others that I have come to enjoy. I do not appreciate telling me what I can and cannot read and believe that with just a few modifications of their rating system and some more filters (ex authors must specify why a story is rated MA-17 and it give a pop-up warning when clicking on the link to readers).

If you feel the same way I do and believe that all FanFiction stories should be allowed on this site there is a petition going around for all to sign. I encourage everyone who may read my stories to sign this.

Thanks

_Treska Silverflame_

The link is: (First part of the link is change . org without the spaces)

/petitions/fanfiction-net-stop-the-destruction-of-fanfiction-net#

This is the letter that is attached to the petition

STOP the destruction of !

Ever since it was opened, had always been a place for avid fans- of ANYTHING- to feel at home. To express whatever is on our minds and truly let our love for characters, plotlines and scenarios shine through.

Now all of a sudden, has decided to go through a massive upheaval and remove thousands of stories from its library, some of the best fanfics ever written, gone, never to be read again. They are removing anything involving sexual situations, or violence, or inspired by a song, the list goes on. And we as readers see this as a gross waste of talent and incredible material.

has always been a place for us writers to 'Unleash our imagination' as the tagline states, and now we are having that right to freedom of speech and expression taken away from us. Since when are they allowed to dictate what goes into our stories? They are OUR pieces of work. What if the violence or sexual content is part of the plotline? This whole situation is absurd. There are better ways to deal with 'inappropriate' content than to remove it altogether. What about adult filters? Age restrictions? There are so many other options!

So I'm asking please, for all us readers, writers, and fans alike... STOP THE DESTRUCTION OF !

Sincerely,


End file.
